Churches, Basilicas & Cathedrals Rome Pilgrimage Hub Early Christian burial complex associated with Pope Saint Callixtus I, the popes of the third century, and Saint Cecilia

Catacombs of San Callisto

The largest and most historically central of the Roman catacombs: the official cemetery of the Church of Rome from the late second century, the Crypt of the Popes, the early burial place traditionally associated with Saint Cecilia, and some of the earliest Christian frescoes preserved in Rome.

Best For
  • Pilgrims tracing the early martyr Church of Rome
  • Devotion to the third-century popes and to Saint Cecilia
  • Readers of early Christian art who want to stand before the Cubicula of the Sacraments
  • A serious Via Appia day, paired with the wider archaeological park
  • Anyone who wants to read Rome from beneath the basilicas before returning to them
Why This Place Matters

The Cemetery of the Church of Rome

Do not miss
  1. The Crypt of the Popes — A small rectangular chamber with the third-century papal inscriptions still set into the walls, recovered in the nineteenth century by Giovanni Battista de Rossi. Pause here long enough to read it as the original burial place of the bishops of Rome of an entire generation.
  2. The Crypt of Saint Cecilia — Directly off the Crypt of the Popes, with traces of early fresco decoration and the marble copy of Maderno's statue. This is the early burial place traditionally associated with the saint before the translation of her relics to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.
  3. The Cubicula of the Sacraments — Some of the earliest Christian frescoes preserved in Rome, with baptismal and Eucharistic imagery from the third century. Read them as catechesis painted on the walls of a burial place, not as decoration.
  4. The small basilica of the popes Sixtus and Cecilia in the upper area — Pause here before descending. The above-ground building gathers the patronal memory of the catacombs and prepares the pilgrim for the visit below.
  5. A short stretch of the Via Appia Antica beyond the entrance — Walk a section of the ancient road after the tour to read the catacombs within the wider burial landscape of the early Church of Rome. The basalt paving and the surviving tombs along the road give the visit its proper setting.

Come here to read Rome from beneath the basilicas. The Catacombs of San Callisto are the official cemetery in which the Church of Rome buried its bishops and faithful from the late second century. The Crypt of the Popes preserves the original burials of most of the third-century popes, several of whom died as martyrs; the Crypt of Saint Cecilia keeps the memory of the saint before her translation to Trastevere; and the Cubicula of the Sacraments show how the earliest Christian generations in Rome already prayed in the language of baptism and the Eucharist.

Wooded approach and welcome area at the Catacombs of San Callisto on the Via Appia Antica
Raboe001 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Approach

The Via Appia and the Cemetery of the Church

The approach matters. The Catacombs of San Callisto sit within a wider archaeological park on the Via Appia Antica, the ancient road on which the cemetery of the Church of Rome was deliberately placed. Read the visit as pilgrimage into the burial geography of the early Church, not as an underground curiosity.

Story and Architecture

From a Roman Cemetery to the Official Burial Place of the Church

By the end of the second century the Christian community in Rome had grown large enough to need its own burial places along the consular roads outside the Aurelian Walls. The complex that later took the name of Pope Callixtus I began as a small cemetery on the Via Appia and was extended by him while he served as deacon of Pope Zephyrinus and superintendent of the Christian cemeteries of Rome. After his pontificate from 217 to 222 the cemetery grew under successive bishops into a vast underground system on multiple levels, and in the middle of the third century it became the official burial place of the popes. Most of the third-century bishops of Rome were laid to rest here, and several of them, including Pope Saint Sixtus II, were martyred during the persecutions of Decius and Valerian. Saint Cecilia, traditionally venerated as a young Roman martyr of the same era, was buried in the chamber next to the Crypt of the Popes. The catacombs continued in use through the early fourth century, after which Christian burial returned increasingly to surface cemeteries beside the new basilicas. The relics of most of the popes buried here were translated to other Roman churches across the early medieval centuries, and the relics of Saint Cecilia were translated by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century to the basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. The galleries were eventually forgotten and then rediscovered in the nineteenth century, above all through the patient work of the archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi, who recovered the Crypt of the Popes and identified the original inscriptions. The complex has been entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco since the early twentieth century and is administered by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology.

The catacombs are cut directly into the volcanic tuff of the Via Appia and extend across several levels of narrow galleries lined with loculi, family cubicula, and arcosolia. The Crypt of the Popes is a small rectangular chamber with the inscriptions of the third-century popes set into its walls and a marble plaque commissioned by Pope Damasus in the late fourth century. The Crypt of Saint Cecilia opens directly off it, preserving traces of early fresco decoration. The Cubicula of the Sacraments are a sequence of small chambers whose third-century paintings include some of the earliest visual representations of Christian baptism and the Eucharist. Above ground, the small basilica of the popes Sixtus and Cecilia and the Salesian welcome buildings frame the entry to the visit.

The catacombs are not a museum and they are not a curiosity. They are a Catholic burial place where the popes and martyrs of the early Church of Rome were laid in the ground and where the faithful prayed beside their tombs. The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology asks visitors to read them in that key. A serious pilgrim visit pays close attention to the popes who governed and suffered for the Church of Rome in the third century, to the witness of Saint Cecilia, and to the way the earliest Christian art in Rome already speaks in the language of the sacraments.

When You Are There

What to Notice

These are the details that turn a visit into an encounter.

  • That this is the official cemetery of the early Church of Rome, not simply a famous catacomb. The Crypt of the Popes preserves the original burials of most of the third-century bishops of Rome, several of whom were martyred under Decius and Valerian.
  • That Saint Cecilia is venerated here as the early burial memory of a Roman virgin martyr, and that her relics were translated by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. The two churches read together rather than as alternatives.
  • That the relics of most of the popes buried here were translated to other Roman churches over the centuries. The catacombs are the original martyrial and pontifical burial memory, not an intact treasury of relics.
  • That the earliest Christian frescoes in Rome, in the Cubicula of the Sacraments, already speak in the language of baptism and the Eucharist. The faith of the early Church is visible on the walls of its burial places.
  • That the visit is by guided tour only, that photography is generally not permitted underground, and that the catacombs are treated as a sacred place rather than as a museum or attraction.
Connected Saints

Saints Associated With This Place

First burial memory

Saint Cecilia

The Via Appia catacomb traditionally associated with Cecilia's first burial before her relics were translated to Trastevere.

Learn about Saint Cecilia
Relics, Tombs, and Sacred Objects

What Makes It Spiritually Significant

Read the visit in three movements: the Crypt of the Popes, the Crypt of Saint Cecilia next to it, and the Cubicula of the Sacraments with their early Christian frescoes. Everything else in the galleries belongs around these three.

Saints Buried Here

  • The Crypt of the Popes holds the original burials of most of the third-century bishops of Rome, including Pope Saint Pontian, Pope Saint Anteros, Pope Saint Fabian, Pope Saint Lucius I, Pope Saint Stephen I, Pope Saint Sixtus II, Pope Saint Dionysius, Pope Saint Felix I, and Pope Saint Eutychian. Several of the popes buried here were martyred, and their relics were later translated to other Roman churches.
  • The Crypt of Saint Cecilia preserves the early burial place traditionally associated with the Roman virgin martyr, whose relics were translated by Pope Paschal I to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in the early ninth century.
  • Pope Saint Callixtus I, who gives the catacombs their name, served as deacon of Pope Zephyrinus and superintendent of this cemetery before his own pontificate from 217 to 222. He was buried elsewhere in Rome, traditionally on the Via Aurelia.
  • Many early Christian martyrs and faithful of the Church of Rome are buried in the wider complex, which extends across several galleries and levels.

Relics

  • Pilgrims venerate the catacombs as the first official cemetery of the Church of Rome and as the original burial place of a long line of third-century popes, several of whom died as martyrs.
  • The Crypt of Saint Cecilia is venerated as the early burial place of the saint, with the statue by Stefano Maderno that copies the figure carved for the basilica in Trastevere.
  • The relics of most of the popes buried here were translated to other Roman churches over the centuries, so the catacombs are best read as the original martyrial and pontifical burial memory of the early Church rather than as an intact treasury of relics.

Sacred Objects

  • The Crypt of the Popes, recovered in the nineteenth century by the archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi, with the original Greek inscriptions of the third-century popes still set into the walls.
  • The Crypt of Saint Cecilia, adjacent to the Crypt of the Popes, with traces of early fresco decoration and the marble copy of Maderno's statue of the saint.
  • The Cubicula of the Sacraments, a series of small chambers whose third-century frescoes are among the earliest visual witnesses to Christian belief in baptism and the Eucharist.
  • The galleries and arcosolia of the wider complex, with early Christian symbols of the fish, the anchor, the Good Shepherd, and the orant figure.
  • The upper area on the Via Appia, with the small basilica of the popes Sixtus and Cecilia, the Salesian welcome buildings, and the gardens that prepare pilgrims for the underground visit.
Prayer and Worship

How to Visit

Access to the catacombs is only by guided tour, in several languages, led by the Salesian community. Confirm current opening days, hours, and ticket arrangements on the official site before planning around the visit. The complex is closed on Wednesdays and during part of the winter season; tours typically last about thirty to forty-five minutes underground and the temperature inside is cool year-round. Photography is generally not permitted inside the galleries. The site is reached from central Rome by bus or taxi along the Via Appia, and pairs naturally with a wider walk of the Via Appia Antica archaeological park.

  • Guided pilgrim visits in several languages led by the Salesian community
  • Occasional Masses and prayer in the upper basilica and the chapels of the complex
  • Devotion to the popes and martyrs buried within the catacombs
  • Devotion to Saint Cecilia at her early burial crypt
  • Reception by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology as a place of Catholic memory rather than an unguided monument
Plan Your Time

How Long to Give It

1 Hour

Enough for the guided tour underground, with brief time in the upper area at the small basilica of the popes Sixtus and Cecilia.

2 Hours

Add a slower visit to the upper area and a short walk of the Via Appia Antica beyond the entrance.

Half Day

Pair the catacombs with the wider Via Appia Antica archaeological park, or with the basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere read as the place of the saint's relic translation.

Suggested Visit Rhythm

Treat the catacombs as a guided pilgrim visit rather than a self-paced museum. Arrive early, walk the upper area before descending, listen carefully in the Crypt of the Popes and the Crypt of Saint Cecilia, and pause in the Cubicula of the Sacraments. After returning to the surface, walk a short stretch of the Via Appia Antica or continue to a related site so the visit reads as part of the wider geography of the early Church of Rome.

Plan Your Visit

Suggested Ways to Visit

Use these as simple visit sequences. Check current schedules and access before you go.

About 90 minutes

Guided Visit to the Catacombs of San Callisto

First-time pilgrims who want the catacombs read as a single Catholic place.

A guided visit through the upper area, the Crypt of the Popes, the Crypt of Saint Cecilia, and the Cubicula of the Sacraments.

  1. Arrive in the upper area at least fifteen minutes before the tour and visit the small basilica of the popes Sixtus and Cecilia.
  2. Join a guided tour in the chosen language and descend into the catacombs with the Salesian guide.
  3. Pause in the Crypt of the Popes to read the third-century papal inscriptions still in place on the walls.
  4. Step into the Crypt of Saint Cecilia next to it and consider the saint's first burial memory before her translation to Trastevere.
  5. Stop in the Cubicula of the Sacraments to look at the earliest Christian frescoes of baptism and the Eucharist in Rome.
  6. Return to the surface and walk a short stretch of the Via Appia Antica before leaving.
Half day

Cecilia from Catacomb to Basilica

Pilgrims tracing Saint Cecilia from her first burial memory on the Via Appia to the place where her relics are venerated today.

The Catacombs of San Callisto and Santa Cecilia in Trastevere read as a single Cecilia pilgrimage.

  1. Begin at the Catacombs of San Callisto with the guided tour, pausing in the Crypt of the Popes and the Crypt of Saint Cecilia.
  2. Walk a short stretch of the Via Appia Antica after the tour to settle the visit before leaving.
  3. Travel into central Rome and cross the river into Trastevere.
  4. Pray at the basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, where the relics of the saint were translated by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century and are venerated today beneath the high altar.
  5. Pause before Maderno's statue and the apse mosaic before leaving.
Above-ground basilica and Salesian welcome buildings at the Catacombs of San Callisto
Mister No / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Above Ground

Where the Visit Begins

The visit begins on the surface, at the small basilica of the popes Sixtus and Cecilia and the Salesian welcome buildings. Tickets, guides, and language assignments are arranged here before the descent into the galleries.

Nearby

Nearby Sacred Places

These nearby places are included because they deepen the Christian or Catholic meaning of the visit, not because they are general attractions.

Destination

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

About thirty minutes by car from the catacombs into central Rome. The basilica where the relics of Saint Cecilia were translated by Pope Paschal I in the early ninth century and where they are venerated today beneath the high altar.

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Destination

Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura

The basilica of Saint Agnes on the Via Nomentana, built above the catacombs traditionally associated with her burial. A natural counterpart to San Callisto for pilgrims tracing the catacomb and martyr memory of early Christian Rome.

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Destination

St. Peter's Basilica

The apostolic shrine of the Church of Rome. Read after the catacombs, the basilica over Peter's tomb completes the burial geography that connects the apostle, the third-century popes laid in the Crypt of the Popes, and the wider papal succession.

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Practical Notes

Relevant Details

Address
Via Appia Antica 110/126, 00179 Rome, Italy
Type
Early Christian catacomb complex; sacred archaeological site of the Holy See
Visit length
About 60 to 90 minutes including the upper area; underground tours typically last 30 to 45 minutes
Best time
Mid-morning on a weekday, when tour groups are smaller and a wider Via Appia walk fits naturally around the visit
Access
Guided tour only, in several languages; tickets are sold on site and through the official ticketing service
Closures
Generally closed on Wednesdays and during part of the winter season; confirm current arrangements on the official site
Photography
Generally not permitted inside the catacomb galleries; allowed in the upper area at the discretion of staff
Accessibility
Underground galleries include stairs and narrow passages and are not step-free; confirm current arrangements on the official site
Getting there
Reached from central Rome by bus along the Via Appia or by taxi; combines naturally with a wider walk of the Via Appia Antica archaeological park
Before you go
Check the official site for current tour times, language schedule, and seasonal closures, and dress for cool underground temperatures even in summer
Official Church Site

Access to the Catacombs of San Callisto is by guided tour only, led by the Salesian community under the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology. The site is generally closed on Wednesdays and during part of the winter season; confirm current opening days, hours, and language schedule on the official site before planning around the visit. The relics of most of the popes buried in the Crypt of the Popes were translated to other Roman churches over the centuries, and the relics of Saint Cecilia were translated by Pope Paschal I to Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in the early ninth century. The catacombs are best read as the original martyrial and pontifical burial memory of the early Church of Rome rather than as an intact treasury of relics, and as a place of Catholic memory rather than as a museum or attraction.

Photo: Sailko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

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